'That's what makes you different,' Moozlie says she's embracing the female rapper title

27 December 2021 - 10:00 By Joy Mphande
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Moozlie on her rap career and being an inspiration for other upcoming female rappers.
Moozlie on her rap career and being an inspiration for other upcoming female rappers.
Image: Instagram/ Moozlie

Nomuzi “Moozlie” Mabena has successfully managed to evolve in the entertainment industry from being a TV personality to a female rapper whose career is on the rise.

In 2018, Moozlie won an award for best female in rap at the SA Hip Hop Awards and has since consistently been nominated in that category.

“I haven't released a project that hasn't got me nominated in the best female category at the SA Hip Hop Awards, so the fact that I was able to keep the consistency despite what was a hectic year as a musician was very exciting,” she told TshisaLIVE.

“Two months after the Spirit of an OG project dropped we had already done 500,000 streams across all platforms. It was the first project that I worked on in my house as an independent artist, so the fact that it was well-received means that we're growing and the numbers are getting higher.”

Moozlie hopes to consolidate her name as a rapper on a global scale and solidify her foundation in Mzansi.

“Being a black female independent artist ownership has been the most important thing for me and has taught me so much, especially having that tag in a male-dominated space in a world that's so unfairly screwed towards females.

“I definitely have my days where I just want to be recognised as an equal, because I'm just a rapper, but nine days out of 10 I would rather you call me a female rapper, because being that is what has given me a competitive edge and flair, and I hope that young girls coming into the game don't grow tired of it, because that's what makes you different.”

Aside from being a rapper, Moozlie works alongside her friend DJ Zinhle growing the Era By DJ Zinhle jewellery line, while also collaborating with other brands such as Castle Lite, Silva Lux on a shoe range and more, which is something the rapper says other aspiring artists should take note of.

“I grew up in the slash generation, a lot of people my age do a lot of things. For me 2020 showed me how important it is to show every single gun in your arsenal, the industry is still growing and it's not quite developed, so you have to have multiple streams of income, plus I want to be in the industry for a very long time and I need to set myself up to do that.”


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